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| Geography |
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Romania
is situated in the Central-Southern part of
Europe, on the 45-th parallel at equal distance
between the Equator and the North Pole and on
the 25-th meridian at approximately mid distance
(2,900 km) from the limits of the European
continent. In the Southeast of the country there
is the Black Sea with a coastline of 244 km.
Romania's
neighbors are the Republic of Moldavia (in the
East and Northeast), Ukraine (in the North),
Hungary (in the West and Northwest), Yugoslavia
(in the West and Southwest) and Bulgaria (in the
South).
Romania
has a total surface of 237,500 square km.
The
geographical structure of Romania is an equal
distribution of a various landscape: 31%
mountains, 36% hills and plateaus, 33% plains
and meadows in a radial disposition as a
reversed amphitheater. The Romanian space is
defined by three major geographical elements:
the Carpathian Mountains, the Danube River and
the Black Sea all of them being major tourist
attractions.
The
arch of the Carpathians encloses the province
called "Transylvania" (i.e. "the
land beyond the woods") by the ancient
Romans. It has a plateau relief and is situated
in the center of the country. In the West there
are two other provinces called Crisana and Banat
whereas in the East there is situated Moldavia.
South the Carpathians there is Wallachia, having
in its Central-Eastern part the country's
capital, Bucharest. In the area bordered by the
Danube and the Black Sea there is situated the
province called Dobrodgea which comprises, among
others, the unique Danube Delta.
Romania's
flora and fauna are of the richest and most
various in Europe thanks to the climate
conditions which are a combination between those
of the Central Europe, Eastern Europe and
Mediterranean Sea respectively. One can find
there both pine and oak forests, both potato and
vine cultures, both bears and wild ducks. The
Danube Delta is an entirely special wilderness
world being protected as a natural reservation. |
| Climate |
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The
territory of Romania enjoys a four-season
moderate temperate-continental climate, with
ocean influences from the Atlantic, mild ones
from the Mediterranean Sea (situated 900 km in
the Southwest) and excessive elements from the
East and Northeast.
The
annual average rainfall is 700 mm with extremes
of about 1,200-1,400 mm in the mountain area and
of 400 mm in the Black Sea coast vicinity.
The
multi annual average temperatures range between
0 and 230 C in the plains and between
-4 and 140 C in the mountains. |
| Population |
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Romania
has a population of about 22.7 million. The large majority of
the inhabitants (89%) are Romanians, the most important
minorities being Hungarians (7%) and Gypsies (2%). Germans,
Turks, Ukrainians, Slovaks, Jews, Russians, Bulgarians, Greeks,
Armenians and Albanians are other small minorities.
Romania's
official language is Romanian and is of Latin origin. The
Romanian people and language formed in the first centuries AD by
the blending of the Roman Empire conquerors with the ancient
inhabitants of these lands- the Geto-Dacians. Since then,
despite the adversities of the history, Romania remained,
throughout the centuries, as the most Eastern Latinity Island. |
| Religion |
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The
major religion is Christian Orthodox shared by about 86% of the
population. Among other important religions recognized by the
state there are Roman Catholic and Greek Catholic (5%), Reformed
and Lutheran (3%), Baptist, Pentecostal, Mosaic and Muslim.
Religious freedom is fully guaranteed by the Romanian
Constitution. |
| History |
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The
present territory of Romania was inhabited since the dawn of the
mankind by the Geto-Dacians. At the beginning of the 2-nd
century AD, after two fearful wars, they were defeated by the
Romans lead by the emperor Traian. Although brief at the
history's scale (some 170 years), the formal Roman domination
together with the informal one (which lasted many more
centuries) marked decisively the subsequent existence of these
lands. The ancient Rome gave the present name of the country and
the popular Latin is the ancestor of the modern Romanian
language.
Despite
the fall of the Roman Empire, the inhabitants of these places
succeeded to maintain the Roman legacy throughout the dark
centuries of migratory peoples' invasions.
At
the end of the 14-th century the first feudal states, Wallachia
and Moldavia, were founded on these lands. Since then they
fought for almost 500 years for their independence against the
Ottoman and, later, Czarist Empire. In 1859, thanks to the huge
pressure of the people, the two Romanian feudal states succeeded
to unite in a single country, which became fully independent in
1877 after the war opposing Russia and Romania to the Ottoman
Empire.
At
the end of the I-st World War, in 1918, Transylvania, the other
important ancient Romanian state, which had been under Austro-Hungarian
and Ottoman rule for centuries, united with the mother Romania to form
the today's country.
Between
1881 and 1947 Romania was a kingdom whereas after the 2-nd World War, in
the period 1947-1989, it was a communist republic. After the sanguinary
revolution of December 1989 Romania became a democratic republic. |
| National
Symbols |
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Romania's
National Day is December 1 to honor the formation of the unitary
state on December 1, 1918.
The
National Anthem is "Wake up, Romanian !" from a song
of the 1848 revolution.
The
national flag is composed of three (red, yellow and blue)
vertical stripes.
The
national currency is "leu" (which means
"lion") with the plural "lei". |
| Administration |
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According
to its new Constitution adopted in 1991, Romania is a
semi-presidential republic. The head of the state is the
president elected directly by the people every four years.
The
Parliament is composed of two chambers- Senate and Deputies'
Chamber- which members are elected every four years by universal
ballot. All important parties and ethnic minorities are
represented in the Parliament.
The
Constitution guarantees all modern worldwide-accepted democratic
rights and freedom.
Romania's
territory is divided for administration reasons into 40
districts (called "judet" from a mediaeval name). Each
district, headed by a prefect, has its own capital and local
administration. Large cities (called "municipiu" from
the Latin name), cities, towns and villages have own
administrations elected every four years by the universal and
secret vote of their inhabitants. Some major cities with
population ranging from 150,000 to 350,000 inhabitants are
Brasov, Timisoara, Iasi, Cluj-Napoca, Constanta and Sibiu.
Romania's
capital, Bucharest, has a distinctive administrative status.
This city, with its over 2.5 million inhabitants, is the largest
in Central-Southeastern Europe as well as the main political,
economical, financial, tourist and travel center of Romania. |
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